Tagovailoa seeks fresh start with Falcons
Any full-length conversation between Tua Tagovailoa and his adolescent self would, eventually, disclose details of the dark days. The hip injury that prematurely ended his college career. The concussions that added up nearly as fast as the number of missed games. Blows to his shoulder, ankle, fingers, ribs.
But that’s not where the discussion, or the questioning from 12-year-old Tua, would begin. The road that, more recently, included the veteran quarterback’s release from the Miami Dolphins and led to the Falcons is still going. His boyhood dream is still his reality in adulthood.
“What would that Tua say to the Tua now?” Tagovailoa asked himself Tuesday in his introductory teleconference. “I mean, it’s a blessing for me to be in this position and this opportunity that I have to be able to play for the Falcons and whatnot.
“But to be able to still live out my dream, that’s not something that I take for granted.”
Tagovailoa is no longer the bright-eyed, highly touted rookie who stepped into the Dolphins’ facilities in 2020 eager to learn from veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick. The 28-year-old is decorated, with a ninth-place finish in the 2022 MVP race and a Pro Bowl nod in 2023, and carries well-documented battle scars.
But his enthusiasm hasn’t quelled.
“The drive is there,” Tagovailoa said.
Now, he hopes production — and a career resurrection — will follow. The Falcons signed Tagovailoa to a one-year deal on March 13, creating an open competition between him and rising third-year pro Michael Penix Jr. to be the team’s starting quarterback later this fall.
Tagovailoa entered free agency knowing he wouldn’t find a guaranteed starting spot, and he said he didn’t look for teams who’d have such an opportunity. He merely wanted a fresh start after a year self-described as the biggest setback relative to his standard performance level.
“Just got to play better football,” Tagovailoa said. “That’s what that really means. There’s no other way to sugarcoat that or go around that.”
Tagovailoa started 14 games for the Dolphins last season, completing 67.7% of his passes for 2,660 yards and 20 touchdowns. Interceptions were his downfall — he threw 15, second-most in the league.
The Dolphins benched Tagovailoa for the final three games to give seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers a chance to play under center. The team released Tagovailoa on March 9, closing the book on a six-year chapter that featured over 18,000 passing yards, 120 touchdown passes and a 44-32 record.
Tagovailoa is at a bit of a career crossroads. He arrives in Atlanta with no promises other than the opportunity to compete with Penix, who’s still recovering from a torn ACL suffered last November.
Each of the last five summers, Tagovailoa was the Dolphins’ unquestioned starter. He said he’s no stranger to competition — he lived it at Alabama behind Jalen Hurts in 2017, and he never let his guard down in Miami — and his mentality won’t change entering his battle with Penix.
“You’re either a competitor or you’re not,” Tagovailoa said. “You just don’t go from being a competitor to, ‘Let me just relax a little bit.’ I just don’t think that’s how it works. You’re either a competitor or you’re not. And so, I embrace the competition.
“I’m excited to work alongside Mike, and I’m excited to work with the team, with the guys. I think it’s going to be fun this year.”
Tagovailoa is fond of the Falcons’ pieces offensively.
He likes the team’s offensive line and running back Bijan Robinson’s speed, physicality and elusiveness, comparing him to Dolphins Pro Bowl ball carrier De’Von Achane. Throw in the vicinity of receiver Drake London, Tagovailoa said, and he’ll catch it. Get the ball to tight end Kyle Pitts, and he’ll rack up yards after the catch.
“All in all,” Tagovailoa said, “I think it can be really dangerous.”
Availability remains the biggest question facing Tagovailoa — remember the dark days? Injuries happen, he said, and they’re out of his control. They’ve happened more frequently and hit him harder than most.
Tagovailoa has started every game in a season only once, coming in 2023, when he led the league in passing yards. He’s missed 15 games because of injuries, including a career-high six in 2024. Yet while he conceded players can never predict the future of their health, Tagovailoa believes the arrow is pointing upward as he enters his first offseason program with the Falcons.
“I went through all the protocols of what I needed to do for the Falcons. Everything came out good. Some things are looking way better than the guys might have thought,” Tagovailoa said. “You either love the game, or you don’t. And you know the challenges that are ahead in terms of playing the sport with injuries, but you either love it or you don’t.”
Tagovailoa tries to ignore outside noise as much as possible. He’s deleted social media — YouTube is the only such app on his phone — and has his own marketing team to post on Instagram and X. In his free time, the Falcons’ new signal caller likes to golf, fish and attend boat shows.
In Atlanta, Tagovailoa intends to immerse himself in the community. The catch, of course, is he doesn’t know how long his time in the city will last. The Dolphins are on the hook for $54 million of Tagovailoa’s contract this year, enabling the Falcons to land his services on a $1.2 million minimum contract.
There are no financial ties between Tagovailoa and the Falcons beyond 2026. But the Ewa Beach, Hawaii, native is paying no mind to his future. After all, 12-year-old Tua would merely ask his older self about his immediate situation and take great joy in the response.
Tagovailoa’s past is marked with promise and production, but a fair dose of pain. He believes his best football is still ahead of him — and his sole focus is proving it to the Falcons in 2026.
“When I’m playing, I mean, I get to freaking play football,” Tagovailoa said. “This is what I’ve dreamed of my entire life. So, regardless of what that looks like, I’m going to be present. I’m going to be in the moment. I’m going to be where my feet are.”
